I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The council hall of the Eastern tribes was located next to a branch of the tree god.

Xuan cleared his throat and glanced at the three faces.

"After the fox clan was wiped out, the four tribes have been recuperating and rebuilding in recent years."

"Those who need to heal should heal, those who need to farm should farm, and those who need to cultivate should cultivate..."

His voice was calm and steady, like that of an old friend having a conversation.

He nodded vigorously. The Northern Region had indeed been stable in recent years. The snake demons had been suppressed and could not raise their heads. The hunting teams even dared to advance more than a hundred miles further north.

Feng also briefly talked about the situation in southern Xinjiang. The Tianhe River channel has been completely opened up, and freight traffic has doubled compared to ten years ago. Shipbuilding workshops have begun to study the development of large ships.

Qi was the one who spoke the least, only saying four words: "The western border is being nurtured."

Xuan nodded and suddenly stood up.

He walked to the entrance of the council chamber and looked at the verdant tree in the center of the square, its branches pointing towards the heavens.

A glimmer of light emanates from the leaves, which sway gently in the autumn breeze, just as they did ten years ago, just as they did a hundred years ago.

"The tree spirit bestowed upon us writing, power, and even civilization..."

"We have received so many blessings, yet what have we done for the tree spirit?"

Xuan's voice suddenly dropped, as deep as a stone thrown into a deep pool.

The hand that was gripping the dried meat stopped.

Feng raised his head and looked down at Xuan's back.

Qi straightened up.

"Just say what you mean." He slammed down the jerky in his hand, clapped his hands, and said, "You're not the kind of person who beats around the bush."

Xuan turned around and stared intently at the decision-makers of the three tribes.

"Among the secrets of the spiritual field taught by the Tree God, there is a record of a special application."

His hand rested on the very center of the map—the place of faith circled in animal blood, yet now lost.

"After ten years of dedicated research, I've finally figured out something..."

"Tell me already! Don't keep me in suspense!"

"The Great Spiritual Field of Heaven and Earth!"

Xuan gestured on the map, drawing several arcs from the center outwards, connecting the locations of the four tribes into an irregular circle.

"In each of our four tribes, there are branches of the tree god that take root and nourish all living things."

"But the area that branches can cover is ultimately limited—no more than a hundred miles in radius. Beyond that, the light fades."

"What if we erect totem poles beyond the branches, making them new nodes of spiritual energy?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it resonated exceptionally clearly in the empty council chamber.

"A totem pole?"

Feng's breathing became somewhat rapid. She hadn't expected that the profound mysteries buried deep within the spiritual field techniques would actually be deciphered by Xuan.

"Totem poles can connect with the earth's veins, carry faith, and resonate with the branches of tree spirits."

"Although a single totem can only cover a small area, ten, a hundred... can be connected to form a line, creating a network!"

"Uncle Xuan, what do you mean?!"

Qi's chest heaved violently, and he subconsciously clenched his clothes, trying to calm his increasingly agitated heartbeat.

Xuan pointed to the vast area on the map, surrounded by four major tribes, and spoke in a booming voice.

"We've gone too far towards the mountains and seas... Now, it's time to go home!"

"Through totem poles, we gradually filled the wilderness between the four tribes, allowing the light of the tree god to shine on every member of the tribe."

"Ultimately, we will construct a Great Spiritual Field that covers the entire territory of humanity!"

The council chamber fell silent for a moment.

He straightened up abruptly and patted the dust off his palms.

"What you're saying sounds like a dream to me."

"However... I like to dream."

His voice was rough, but a fire burned in his eyes.

The wind didn't say anything, but simply tapped the edge of the map lightly with its fingertips, and only spoke after a long while.

"The selection, construction, and maintenance of totem poles..."

"How many people, resources, and time are needed?"

"Xuan... have you thought about it?"

Xuan took out a roll of animal hide from his bosom, unfolded it, and found it covered with numbers and entries.

"Ten years of planning, with contingency plans prepared for every aspect."

Feng took it, looked it over from beginning to end, and then handed the animal hide back to Xuan.

"The totem poles intertwine with the earth's veins, inevitably altering the ecosystem. If they encounter a demon clan..."

Qi pointed out the last problem.

"Then pull it out!"

"From now on, we will no longer be merely hunting and exterminating demons."

"Once you conquer a piece of land, you erect a totem pole and take root in that territory."

"This time, we'll head towards the Tree Spirit!"

In that instant, the spiritual light surrounding Xuan's body seemed to possess a will, becoming exceptionally dazzling.

Like a beacon of hope.

He slammed his hand on the stone table: "Then let's do it! All the manpower in the Northern Region, you can mobilize as you please!"

Feng nodded: "The same goes for Southern Xinjiang."

Qi lowered his eyelids, his eyelashes trembling slightly: "The sins of the western frontier can finally be redeemed... Let's erect the first totem pole."

Xuan looked at the three faces, took out the withered yellow leaf with the character "Xia" carved on it from his pocket, and gently placed it in the center of the map...

A few days later, the news spread like wildfire throughout the four tribes.

In order to accomplish this grand plan, the Xia family, which has been divided and managed for decades, must reunite as one.

Xuan was naturally chosen as the unified commander of the four tribes.

He became the second chief of the Xia clan after Hong.

Tens of thousands of Xia clan members mobilized at the same time.

The hunters ventured deep into the wilderness, surveying the earth's veins and marking the locations of totem poles.

The craftsmen worked day and night, chiseling stones and felling trees, transporting huge rocks and ironwood logs from the deep mountains and mines.

The travelers from the Mingling Realm knelt before the tree god's branch, repeatedly studying the spiritual field techniques and carving those profound patterns into every inch of the totem pole's surface.

The first totem pole stood in the western border region.

That was the promise that Qi fulfilled, and also the monument of atonement written by the western border with its actions.

Hundreds of Western Trailwalkers fought for three days and three nights, carving out a piece of pure land in the spider's lair and planting a three-zhang-tall totem stone pillar deep in the swamp.

When the light emanated from the top of the pillar, echoing the distant branches of the tree spirit, the earth's ley lines were stirred—

A rich and warm spiritual energy surged from the ground, instantly driving back and purifying the surrounding miasma.

The travelers from the western tribes stood solemnly, gazing up at the totem pole that represented their faith.

"By the Tree God!"

"In the west, there is no retreat!"

Once you have the first one, you'll have the second, the third, the tenth, and the hundredth.

Travelers from the northern lands erected totem poles on the frozen permafrost, their spiritual light illuminating the dark canyons that had been devoid of sunlight for millennia.

The navy of the southern border sank the stone pillar to the bottom of the Milky Way. The spiritual light pierced through the water's surface, illuminating the underwater reefs and whirlpools clearly.

Hunters from the East planted totem poles atop the mountains, their light illuminating the surrounding area like a beacon.

With each totem pole erected, the human territory expanded outwards by one step.

With each inch of spiritual light it touched, the once perilous wilderness became a little more peaceful.

The numerous spiritual nodes, like stars in the night sky, illuminate countless forces of faith.

The profound and devout will of the Xia clan, along with the surging spiritual energy of the earth, ultimately converged on that legendary land—

The top of the sacred mountain.

Yu Su finally woke up.